Norway’s seafood export value increased by 8 percent year over year in September 2025 as high prices of several species drove up sales values.
According to data collected by the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), industry exported seafood worth NOK 17.9 billion (USD 1.8 billion, EUR 1.5 billion) in September 2025, up NOK 1.4 billion (USD 140 million, EUR 120 million) compared to September 2024. That value growth came despite volume declines in some species as high prices drove higher earnings.
“Seafood exports have had a strong month in terms of value and a solid third quarter. This is primarily due to higher prices for mackerel, cod, saithe, and king crab," NSC CEO Christian Chramer said.
September was the first month that Norway was facing a 15 percent tariff on all of its exports to the U.S. NSC Communications Director Martin Skaug told SeafoodSource in August that Norway wasn’t planning to change up its seafood strategy post-tariff, and that approach was proven successful as the U.S. was still one of the top three markets for the country’s seafood.
The U.S. purchased NOK 1.3 billion (USD 130 million, EUR 111 million) worth of seafood from Norway in September 2025, an increase in value of 9 percent year over year.
"Exports of king crab, trout, and mackerel largely boosted the value to the U.S. in September," Chramer said.
Another huge growth market for Norway during the month was China, which had the largest growth in export value of any country in the month. According to the NSC, the value of seafood sent to China in September 2025 increased by NOK 393 million (USD 39 million, EUR 33 million), or 39 percent, over September 2024.
"The E.U. is still our largest overall market, but Norway is now taking an increasing share of the growing Chinese salmon and prawn market. This is gratifying at a time when world trade is experiencing demanding times with increased tariffs and economic turmoil," Chramer said.
According to the NSC, Norway now makes up 65 percent of the total Chinese salmon market, taking market share away from its main competitor in the region, Chile.
Poland, the U.S., and France were the largest markets for Norwegian salmon exports in the month. Norway exported 137,600 metric tons (MT) of salmon, a drop in volume of 1 percent compared to September 2024. Despite that, Norway’s export value of salmon was worth NOK 11.6 billion (USD 1.16 billion, EUR 993 million) in September 2025, an increase of 2 percent.
For Q3 2025 overall, salmon exports were up 2 percent by value to NOK 32 billion (USD 3.2 billion, EUR 2.7 billion) and 13 percent by volume to 416,855 MT.
Trout also saw growth in the month, with Norway exporting 8,400 MT of trout worth NOK 681 million (USD 68 million, EUR 58 million), increases of 12 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
Outside salmon, several other seafood species saw massive value growth in September 2025 as quota cuts caused decreases in supply, which subsequently drove up prices.
"The quota cuts for several of our wild-caught species in 2025, such as cod and mackerel, are being felt throughout the value chain. When the supply falls, both the export value and the price on store shelves increase,” Chramer said.
Norway exported 52,100 MT of mackerel during the month, a drop of 18 percent. Despite the drop, high prices increased the value to NOK 2.2 billion (USD 221 million, EUR 188 million), an increase of NOK 534 million (USD 53 million, EUR 45 million), or 32 percent, compared to the same price last year.
The export value and volume in October 2025 will likely be lower as the Norwegian mackerel fleet has already caught 90 percent of its quota in 2025.
"It's unusual for such a high proportion of the quota to be taken so early. This is due to a combination of an early start to the fishery and very good fishing in the Norwegian Sea in September," NSC Head of Pelagic Species Jan Eirik Johnsen said.
Johnsen said prices for mackerel hit a new record of NOK 42.01 (USD 4.22, EUR 3.59) per kilogram, and he predicted that price will continue to rise in October. That increased price and shrinking supply comes as the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) set an even lower quota guidance for the 2026 fishing season.
“The sharp rise in prices has a gloomy backdrop, as the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) recommends that the total quota for mackerel be cut by as much as 70 percent, to 174,000 MT, for next year,” Johnsen said.
Exports of fresh cod also increased in value in the quarter, reaching NOK 143 million (USD 14.4 million, EUR 12.2 million) in September 2025, up NOK 50 million (USD 5 million, EUR 4.3 million), or 53 percent, compared to the same month of 2024.
NSC Seafood Analyst Eivind Hestvik Brækkan said landings of fresh cod in the month were largely on par with landings in 2024.
“This contributed to growth in exports of fresh wild cod in September compared with the same month last year,” Brækkan said. “We have to go all the way back to September 2023 to find the previous month with an increased export volume of fresh wild cod."
Fresh farmed cod exports also increased in September 2025, reaching 1,189 MT – an increase of 57 percent over September 2024. Farmed cod export values increased by 78 percent to NOK 84 million (USD 8.4 million, EUR 7.2 million), the highest share of total export value ever.
Frozen cod, meanwhile, saw what the NSC described as a “historic market change.” Total frozen cod exports increased 8 percent by volume to 2,200 MT and 26 percent by value to NOK 185 million (USD 18.6 million, EUR 15.8 million). The big shift was that Vietnam was the top destination for frozen cod after a 175 percent increase in export volume brought total exports to 672 MT.
“Vietnam was also the market with the highest value growth in September, with an increase in export value of NOK 40 million [USD 4 million, EUR 3.4 million], or 245 percent, compared with September last year," Brækkan said.
China’s export value grew mildly but export volume dropped by 19 percent – which Brækkan attributed to new U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods.
"Most of the frozen whole cod that goes to China is processed and re-exported as frozen fillets to the USA and Europe. China now faces a high tariff on exports to the U.S., and there has been a sharp decline in Chinese exports of frozen cod fillets to the U.S. in recent months,” Brækkan said. "Vietnam faces a lower tariff than China when exporting to the US, which may have contributed to Vietnam being our largest market for frozen cod in a single month for the first time.”
Alongside mackerel, cod, and salmon, every other species listed by the NSC saw growth in export value in September 2025. Herring saw a growth in volume of 7 percent to 37,551 MT and a growth in volume of 6 percent to NOK 783 million (USD 78.7 million, EUR 67.1 million), king crab saw growth in volume of 27 percent to 246 MT and growth in value of 59 percent to NOK 159 million (USD 16 million, EUR 13.6 million), and prawns saw a drop in volume of 13 percent to 9,926 MT but a growth in value of 19 percent to NOK 557 million (USD 56 million, EUR 47 million).
Even snow crab, a species not being fished during the month, saw an increase in volume and value of 477 percent to 44 MT and 727 percent to NOK 7 million (USD 704,000, EUR 600,000), respectively.
As export value continue to grow, Chramer cautioned that the decreased supplies of product will result in difficulties as companies compete for product.
“The battle for raw materials means that parts of the Norwegian seafood industry are experiencing very demanding times,” he said. “We've seen this trend for some time now, and it's worrying."
